no one can live life in loneliness, only stars in the sky far away... [WELCOME everyone from everywhere, with intention or by accident - THIS BLOG IS BEST VIEWED IN WEB VERSION FORMAT as its how I envision it to be with the text and photos but still any layout format will work just fine.]

Thursday, September 10, 2015

my Ulasan/Review - Iron Maiden The Book Of Souls & the very nice new Metal Hammer magazine, nice enough to buy....( EDITED ADDED TEXT IN YELLOW AT 12 Sept 0834hrs because I forgot a song LOL!!)

Salam semua.

Allow me to speak a bit in English about the new Iron Maiden album The Book Of Souls, after that I will switch to my bastardized MARKET version of the Malay Language, and then a little on the new Metal Hammer Magazine which has about 20 over pages on the new Maiden stuff right at the end.This is how I listen to The Book Of Souls so far.

When I listen to Maiden, I will visualise it on my head what each band member is doing.How Nicko will sit on his low stool will be on my vivid imagination.So its important even during the instrumental and solos section I can imagine and FANTASIZE.Maybe the solos are wrong, we will know it sooner or later on the breakdowns.

I take Iron Maiden personally.I dont care about what others have to say on Iron Maiden. Never Have, Probably Never Will.Well one exception ...Probably my love ones at home as I cannot have gone backpacking alone to see Maiden plays in different places, different continents, different countries, without them NOT discouraging me LOL!! (now did that sentence comes out the way I meant it?? LOL!!) BUT THEY KNOW MY CRAZINESS WHEN IT COMES TO IRON MAIDEN, I CANNOT BE HELPED ANYMORE LOL!!Put it simply, As far as I am concern, most of the time, unless as stated above, Its just me and IRON FUCKIN MAIDEN.

So this is my review and opinion on the new album.When the new album is rumoured and gossiped, my main worry is the presence of The Too Long Turgid Slow Intros that I am not so keen if it happens a bit too much. I have no problem with slow intros but if its too long, I gets impatient for the music to explode LOL!!This is because I listen to Maiden quite a lot, often, so I mean, Talisman.Now I will openly say it, I would have prefer House Of Doctor D to Talisman on the last tour if they wants to play a Janick song.But then I realised, Maiden is definitely reaching the end of their lifeline and Bruce health condition and especially Nicko's age, I realised I must be happy and enjoy it as much as possible while Maiden is still active.This album does not disappoints. This album is my 2015 album of the year.The last song on this album, the Bruce on Piano 18 minutes Mother of all Maiden Epics EMPIRE OF THE CLOUDS is the song I will choose as my Song Of The Year.I was thinking, maybe 5 years down the road, if I am alive, and I am to list my favourite all time Iron Maiden number one album and number one song. And YOU PUT A GUN ON MY HEAD and I have to choose because I dont think I can even choose and make a top 5 album or a top 40 songs,I will choose The Book Of Souls, and Empire Of The Clouds respectively.This album has minimum of the slow turgid intros that I was talking about. Steve Harris Red And The Black is a perfect example. An up tempo Epic all the way. 13 minutes long, the 3rd longest song in Maiden's history, just a second shorter than ROTAM.This song has one of the most mind-boggling instrumentals and solos section ever, with some of the most complicated time changes Maiden ever done.THIS SONG WILL MAKE JAWS DROP WHEN MAIDEN PLAYS THIS LIVE which I am sure they will.Especially if the news Empire Of The Clouds wont be played.But I believe if Empire of The Clouds is played, I think there will quite a number of grown men crying and bursting to tears.LOL!!!The song is simply beautiful.In conclusion, because if I write in detail about this album it will never be finished,This album is a killer in every sense of the word.As an album, this is the best album of the current 6 men lineup.Other albums have amazing amazing moments like Starblind, Brighter Than A Thousand Suns, Paschendale, even Thin Line Between Love And Hate,but as an album, this is hands down the best.Maybe one day, I will really say this is the best Iron Maiden ever.But nothing in life is perfect, and I find Steve Harris bass on this album unique.I need to get use to how Steve Harris bass sounds on this album.UP THE IRONS!

BOOK OF SOULS (9.6/10)-
Reminds me of Rainbow's Stargazer this song on the lyrics though this one maybe pinpoints towards a more Mayan even Aztec civilisation.
Surely a live song. Maiden usually play the title of the album song.
10+ mins long, 3rd longest song on this album.
A Janick Gers/Steve Harris song. I had always love this combination, the song Dance Of Death was awesome and this one really get going during the instrumental and solo parts.

Lastly....The New Metal Hammer Magazine...In brief... It comes in -- A Box Cover Jacket featuring the new "Mayan" Eddie in 3D or whatever its called and the BOX ITSELF IS A GATEFOLD. A beauty.- The Magazine inside has Eddie in another artwork on the cover.- More than 20 PAGES on everything THE BOOK OF SOULS, ads and photos including a two page spread on His Majesty Service - The R101.An Editor's note with the heading - IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT IRON MAIDEN.Its a nice magazine to have. And it has articles on Powerwolf.So it makes this issue a bonus LOL!!!I very very rarely buy magazines nowadays, but I would feel like collecting the 3 British magazines that will be awesome to celebrate The Book Of Souls release.Kerrang with its awesome cover and I think Classic Rock with its 17 different covers LOL!!No... I cannot afford all 17 different covers. I guess I'll buy any one that I see first LOL!!

Can you imagine Iron Maiden playing The Book of Souls? It would end with Empire of the Clouds and then it would be ‘thank you’ and ‘good night’. There is no Iron Maiden, no Run to the Hills and none of the classics. - NICKO MCBRAIN

I think this is the new millennium Number of the Beast. That was one of our best albums and the follow up to that (Piece of Mind) was probably the best of the lot of them. Brave New World (2000 album) was phenomenal, I loved A Matter of Life and Death (2006), but, having said that, this album is the culmination. It has something for everybody. Take Speed of Light, for instance. It is the old Maiden. That intro is a testimony to Deep Purple and the title track, Book of Souls, is fucking immense – if you’ll excuse my French – but I think this is the best album we’ve ever made. - Abam Nicko cakap...huhu

Iron Maiden(of course), Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, Megadeth, Nightwish etc etc in an 11 DAYS Madness backpacking, little sleep, alone thru England & Germany thousands of km by Planes/Trains/Buses and lots of walking thru muddy watery floods and rain. I will also add additional details on how to get to some of these rocking places. Reports and photos to be updated whenever I got the chance. Click some of the event tshirts above to get direct to these related "Rock Europe 2016" postings..

SOME IRON MAIDEN SHOWS ARE FOR ME TO GO ""MENTAL"", WHILE SOME OTHER shows are for me to be like a mouse & to try to take photos and be more focus on each member of the band, analyse their performance as a fan and the show itself. This is a Maiden show that I did not went "MENTAL. LOL!!. So lots of pretty photos that I like and doesnt matter if no one else like it. As usual click Steve Harris above

How To Travel alone To Hellfest, Clisson Nantes France and all the good and bad that comes with it?

Click the above backprint of the tshirt to see how I travel alone to Hellfest without knowing any French using public transportation, choosing to sleep in Nantes nightly, and all the many mistakes that I made, which hurts my budget LOL!!!

Click the Maiden England poster above for the still INCOMPLETE report of my backpacking travels to Donington Park Download Festival, Birmingham, London, and Frankfurt to see some really awesome bands in some awesome places with awesome crowds

I try to photograph Maiden in the madhouse environment of their first night in Frankfurt 2013

As the previous tour, the photos I took may not be nice to other peoples eyes, but I love every each of these results, click Steve Harris above for their 2013 in action photos. Sadly not as many as the 200 photos I took of them in action across Australia in 2011.

Scream For Me Donington!!

How did I travel to Donington Park daily by staying at Derby instead of camping.

Click above photo of Iron Maiden headlining on the second day for 2013 festival. Donington Download Festival Logistics is amazing for me, as the crowd can hit near 100,000

Would be nice if Maiden plays South East Asia for this very special Maiden England tour but ....

11 June 2013 Frankfurt Germany

12 June 2013 Frankfurt Germany

15 June 2013 Donington Park UK

xx xx 2013 Malaysia

xx xx 2013 Singapore

It begins with a dream... I dont think I can ever repeat this adventure again

I am so happy with each photo because I have always wondered how its like to capture photos of Maiden on stage and I did it although I am using a cheap, easy to smuggle in, easy to hide from security, small point and shoot camera and trying to stand still in a sea of madness.

its " www.deafeningforever.blogspot.com ". Last updated - 11 April 2011. Or go thru the *labels sections in this same column to check out my previous visits to exhibitions, museums, historical places and zoos. I love these stuffs.

* labels linked to topics I blog before or you can find similar labels at bottom of each blog post.

Personalised Trooper Eddie

Derek Riggs was kind enough to accede to my humble request for a drawing of my favourite Eddie when I got the Hardcover version (now sold out) of his book..

Youtube Channel

Bootlegs of some live shows attended, scenes of live shows and Festivals, some frolicking animals at the zoo, travelling & other things...

The latest by me on some topics.

cds, dvds, concerts, merchandise, books, travelling, animals, zoos, nature,photography, leisure, food and everything else is ALL MIXED UP in this blog, these are some of my latest opinions on some of the topics, the rest YOU CAN go thru the labels section above.

Where Eagles Dare ( my other websites )

A Most Memorable Evening

It took me 25 years as a Maiden fan (83-08) to finally see them live with my better half by my side. Pathetic and embarassing as a loyal fan but I cant afford it before being in the wrong bloody continent. One of the great lessons in life, when you really want something, you have to put in much effort. It may look to be beyond your ability and reach, but sometimes dreams can come true. Mine did.

stranger in a strange land

ghost of the navigator

~ Mentally Yours ~

"I never went to college
I dont have a degree
Lets say I went to nite school
I learned all I know on the streets
I wasnt born a rich man
I aint got no pedigree
The sweat on this old collar
Thats my Ph.D."
In life, there are things that most people take for granted, but not for me but everyone has their stories.
My earthly pleasures are many but two more evil ones and the milestones are -
1979 - became a lifelong Arsenal fan because its the choice of either supporting the Gunners or The Red Devils and "as a young boy chasing dragons", devils are bad and the cannon looks pretty. Anyway, you can change your life, but you cant change your team. 1983 - listened to Iron Maiden's Piece Of Mind tape and the rest is a glorious history..
2008 - Pathetic and embarassing but thats the truth, I only got to see Maiden live in Perth for the first time in my life with my better half by my side. It means a lot to me. Fast forward to 2011, they played Singapore for their long suffering fans in South East Asia. I also managed to backpack to Australia to catch them again in a few places.
So not bad really, for a fan born in the ass of the world as far as being a Maiden fan is concerned.

Let me take you far away, You'd like a holiday..

Once in a blue moon and if we can save up a bit, we take the chance to get away out of Malaysia and Singapore and go to another place, and these are our adventures. Click Krabi's bamboo island beach above or check on the *labels section for the specific places. AND NOPE THAT IS NOT ME ABOVE LOL!!! I just like this photo...